Dreams of a Toad
by GibblesX3
Summary: An angry Toad begins dreaming of killing classmates. But are they really his dreams? And will he let Jean help him? Finished Ending changed.
1. Bad Day Begins and a Dream

Disclaimer: I in no way shape or form own X-Men Evolution or any of its characters.  
  
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"Hey alright who took it?" Todd "Toad" Tolansky shouted from his room.  
  
"Took what?" Pietro Maximoff said appearing in a blur of speed. He was followed shortly after by the three other residents of the Brotherhood Manor.  
  
"I had fifty bucks stashed away and no it's gone!" Toad said pointing at an empty spot in a dresser drawer.  
  
"Who would go into your underwear drawer for fifty bucks," Tabitha Smith said, "None of us are that suicidal."  
  
"It ain't funny Boom Boom," Toad said angrily, "Someone took and I want to know who."  
  
Blob, Quicksilver, and Boom Boom exchanged glances and shrugged collectively. Toad snorted and hopped off and down the stairs. He grabbed his bag and took off out the door. Lance "Avalanche" Alvers was outside working on his jeep.  
  
"Hey Toad, where are you going?" Lance called after him.  
  
"School," Toad shouted not looking back.  
  
"Wanna ride?"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"What's wrong with you?"  
  
"Someone stole fifty bucks from me that's my problem!" Toad shouted back. "Now I don't have the money for the trip to Boston with history class to walk the Freedom Trail the end of this grading period."  
  
"Freedom Trail? Why would you want to go there?" Lance asked.  
  
"HEY! Maybe I am interested in this. You know I am more than just Toad the doormat of Brotherhood. I am person with hobbies and interests too. I don't just hop around and eat flies all day." Toad shouted as he hopped off even angrier.  
  
* * *  
  
Later at school, Toad was taking his seat in the back of journalism class that was stuck on his schedule to fill an empty credit when he was struck by a wad of paper. Looking up he spotted Duncan Mathews laughing with a bunch of jocks. Picking up the paper Toad slimed it up and threw it back. Duncan batted the wad away with his arm and nailed Mr. Reyes, the journalism teacher, in the face. The teacher looked in the direction of where the wad came from.  
  
"Mr. Tolansky, consider this a detention," Mr. Reyes said wiping his face off.  
  
"Ah man," Toad said under his breath.  
  
  
  
Duncan took his seat a few down from Toad wiping the slime off his jacket. The slime left a visible stain that infuriated the quarterback "You're dead Tolansky"  
  
"Duncan, leave him alone," Jean "little Miss Perfect" Grey said taking a seat next to Duncan.  
  
"Hey I don't need your help!" Toad told Jean. *Stupid X-Geeks butting their noses where they don't belong.*  
  
Seeing the scowl on her face told him that she had read the thought. He smiled and kicked back to take a snooze while Mr. Reyes began to drone on and on.  
  
* * *  
  
A gunshot forced Toad awake. He found himself standing at the front of the class holding a smoking gun. Next to him on the floor was Mr. Reyes laying on the floor bleeding from the chest. Looking up he saw the entire class huddled in a back corner.  
  
"Tolansky are you nuts! Put the gun down!" Duncan said with sweat pouring down his face.  
  
The sight of the star quarterback cowering in fear made Toad feel good. He felt a sense of power flowing into him from the gun. He was in control no one could walk on him now.  
  
"Toad come on put the gun down no one else needs to get hurt," Jean said stepping towards him.  
  
"Back off," Toad pointed the gun at her his finger resting on the trigger. He felt the desire to shoot her. To kill the most popular girl in school. *What am I doing she could just pull this thing outta my hand like it was nothing. But why isn't she?* His finger tightened on the trigger.  
  
"JEAN NOOOOOOO!" Duncan dived at Jean and Toad felt himself pull off two shots.  
  
* * *  
  
Toad jumped awake in his seat and noticed the whole class staring at him.  
  
"Let me guess you started dreaming that you were learning something?" Mr. Reyes asked prompting a laugh from the class.  
  
Just then the bell rang and the students began to file out. Toad noticed Jean giving him an odd look as though she had seen his dream. He cursed something about telepaths and headed for the door.  
  
He was turning around to grab the detention slip off Mr. Reyes desks when he overheard Mr. Reyes arguing with a classmate named Danny Bryant. "Mr. Bryant you are responsible for turning in your assignments on time to get a passing grade. Todd Tolansky sleeps half of class but he has been getting his stuff in on time lately."  
  
"Yea he just wants to go on that stupid history trip," Danny said, "I bet if I were like Jean Grey or Duncan Matthews we wouldn't be having this conversation."  
  
"I treat all of my students the same," Mr. Reyes responded. "They do their work and if they don't I get after them too."  
  
"Yea right," Danny stormed out pushing Toad out of the way.  
  
Toad looked at him go and shook his head. *Geez and I thought teachers only treated me unfair.* 


	2. I don't need help

Later that day Toad was at his locker putting away books to get ready to head to lunch when Jean approached him. "Toad we need to talk about that dream you had."  
  
"You saw that! I thought Baldy taught you not to go riffling through people's brains without permission!" Toad said slamming his locker closed.  
  
"Professor Xavier did teach me that but for some reason I picked up on your dream without trying," Jean replied, "But I am rather concerned about it."  
  
"Hey listen. I ain't gonna go crazy and act out the dream if that's what ya mean," Toad said turning to walk away.  
  
"Toad, this could be a sign of bottled up anger that is trying to escape. Or there is a serious issue that you need to work through," Jean said.  
  
"Yea and why do you want to help me? I'm the enemy remember." Toad said facing her.  
  
"Toad we maybe on opposing sides but you are still a person who needs help. I'm not going to turn my back on someone who needs help," Jean replied.  
  
"Hey Jean! What are doing with him?" Both mutants turned to see Duncan approaching.  
  
"There's your boyfriend, why don't ya go help him with a problem. Maybe he forgot how to spell cat," Toad said taking off towards the cafeteria leaving Jean to shake her head.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
In the lunch room Toad sat alone at a table eating a some sort of nasty school mystery meat. Since Mystique disappeared decent food was almost never seen. They were down to taking turns working odd jobs to buy groceries every two weeks. This week it was Lance's turn and half his earnings went towards gas and parts for his jeep so it meant school lunches were going to be the only meal.  
  
"Hey Toad, why are you sitting here alone?" Freddy "Blob" Dukes said holding his heaping tray of school mystery meat.  
  
"Maybe I wanna eat alone for once, without you eating like a pig, Pietro's excessive talking, Lance making ga ga eyes at Kitty, and Boom Boom blowing my food up in my face!" Toad exclaimed.  
  
"Fine, eat alone, don't expect us to join you," Freddy said walking away towards the Brotherhood's usual table.  
  
"Geez is he stupid," Toad muttered.  
  
Suddenly Toad found himself standing in the middle of the cafeteria holding a machine gun. Around him lay bodies he recognized as various jocks, cheerleaders, and other popular students. He was even more shocked to see the bodies of both the X-Men and Brotherhood in the mix.  
  
*No way a lousy gun no matter how big could take out all of them,* Toad thought looking at the body of the mutants lying before him. *I can't be dreaming of killing them like this I know them too well.*  
  
"Toad?" Toad shook his head finding himself sitting back at his table with Jean standing over him.  
  
"Let me guess you just happened to see that one too?" Toad asked irritated that she kept popping up.  
  
"Toad I am worried it maybe something terrible. I called Professor he said –"  
  
"Forget it! They are just dreams. And that's all they are going to be!" Toad got up and stormed away. He passed a couple of jocks who were hassling Danny Bryant over him sitting at their table. *Good to see I ain't the only one who gets walked all over.* 


	3. Connections

Toad decided that he would blow off the rest of the day so he walked out. He was hopping done the parking lot when suddenly he heard an explosion he turned around watching the school go up in flames. He looked down seeing he was holding an empty gas can and a box of matches. *Ah geez not another one.*  
  
Shaking his head he found everything back to normal. He crotched there while trying to clear his head. He knew he had been really angry at the world lately. Like first nature dealt him a cheap shot with his mutant powers. The rest of the Brotherhood and the X-Men had powers that were awesome. He got to have the powers of toad. These powers made him feel inferior to his fellow Brotherhood. And it seemed they felt the same way he did and seemed to treat him inferior. That went for the rest of world also. He was a nobody. Everyone looked down on him.  
  
Though no matter what the world did to him he was sure he would never think about do such drastic things. Sure he acted like a tough guy but he wasn't cut out to kill. These dreams meant nothing. Of course they meant nothing because he killed the Brotherhood and X-Men way too easily. If they meant something he would have dreamed of workable ways to kill them. Wait though what if they weren't his dreams? What if they were someone else's? Like who though?  
  
Just then he spotted a familiar face he had seen throughout the end of all of these dreams. Danny Bryant was walking swiftly towards the street. "Hey Danny wait up we need to talk."  
  
Danny took off in a run upon hearing Toad holler after him. Toad followed after him taking long leaps to fill the gap between them. Catching Danny by the shirt Toad pulled him down.  
  
"Let go Tolansky!" Danny said reaching around to grab Toad by the shirt. Toad got a sudden headache that forced him to let go of Danny.  
  
Everything went black for Toad and he when recovered Danny was gone. "He has to be a mutie."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Later that day, Toad was standing the last place he ever thought he would go. Looking up at the Xavier Institute he reassured himself it was a good idea. He jumped the gate and headed for the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited a few minutes for someone to answer.  
  
Finally the door came open revealing Kurt Wagner wearing the holographic projection that gave him a human appearance. "Toad!? Vhat are you doing here?"  
  
"Is Jean around?" Toad asked.  
  
"Vhy do you vant to see Jean?" Nightcrawler asked.  
  
"That ain't none of ya business blue boy!" Toad snapped. "Now is she here or not?"  
  
"Hold on vone minute?" Kurt said closing the door.  
  
A few minutes later Jean opened the door. "Toad so it really is you I thought Kurt was messing with me. So you finally ready to get help?"  
  
"Yea but it's not like you think," Toad said stepping inside as Jean motioned for him to enter. From there he filled her in with the connection between Danny and his dreams. 


	4. Confrontation

"Cerebro recently detected Daniel Bryant as a mutant," Professor Xavier said to Toad. He and Jean were standing beside Cerebro. "I was about to send Jean, Scott, and Ororo to his home but with this recent development between you and him I believe you and Jean should go talk to him."  
  
"I ain't gonna do your x-geek sales pitch for you." Toad said.  
  
"I'm not asking you to. But since it appears that his mutant powers are affecting you, partly due to the fact both of you share similar feelings about the way the world treats you, that maybe you are a prime candidate to get through to him." Xavier said.  
  
"Yea I tried already and he did a real number ton my head. I ain't doing that again," Toad said shaking his.  
  
"That's because you approached him aggressively. We can approach him without making him feel threatened." Jean said motioning for him to follow. The two headed out of the mansion and to the garage. Jean held up the keys to Scott's car that she got him reluctantly lend to her. Scott wasn't overly thrilled with letting Toad ride in his car but Jean charmed him into it. *Those two are so google eyes over each other it's sickening.*  
  
  
  
It took ten minutes to drive to Danny Bryant's across town suburban home. It was a house that looked like something out of cheesy fifties sitcom with the white picket fence and all. Jean and Toad made their way up the walk and knocked on the front door. The door opened and there was a woman dressed in a dusty t-shirt and jeans with her hair pulled back in a braid and a feather duster in hand. "May I help you?"  
  
"Yes we were wondering if Danny was home." Jean said smiling.  
  
"Oh you musts be friends of his. I am sorry about my appearance just doing some Spring cleaning. Come on in," she said. "You are the first friends who have been to the house I was worried he didn't have any. He has been acting so strange since his father left. Its good to know he has people to talk to."  
  
"Yea well he doesn-" Toad felt something unseen push him. Noticing the look Jean gave him he shut up.  
  
"I will go get Danny," Mrs. Bryant said going upstairs. A few minutes later, she returned, "I'm sorry I thought he was home but I guess he left while I was busy."  
  
"Well thank you anyway Mrs. Bryant," Jean said with a smile.  
  
When Toad and Jean were outside, Jean grabbed Toad by the shirt collar and pulled him around the side of the house to the back yard. She pointed to some pushes and suddenly Danny bolted for the fence. He stopped short and felt his feet of the ground.  
  
"Danny we aren't going to hurt you. We just need to talk to you about your gift." Jean said setting the boy down lightly.  
  
"Hold on Jean Grey the most popular girl in Bayville is a freak like me?" Danny said with a sneer.  
  
"Danny we are not freaks we are called mutants. I am here to offer you help with controlling your gift." Jean said. "And also with the dreams that you have been sending Toad here, they are very disturbing and we want to help you work through your problems."  
  
"My problems, what do you know about my problems? Everyone loves you Miss Popularity. You don't have teachers coming down on you while looking the other way for jocks and preps. You don't get snubbed because you don't or refuse to meet the standards of the supposed 'in crowd'." Danny shouted.  
  
"I do," Toad said, "But I wouldn't go around thinking how to kill everyone."  
  
"I don't think about it. The images just come and I force them away." Danny said.  
  
"Danny, your powers must be working off bottled up anger and produce images based off subconscious desires to get rid of the cause of the of that anger. When you push the images away they are broadcasted to people around you," Jean said.  
  
"Yea like me." Toad said.  
  
"Danny, Professor Xavier can help you control those powers and I am sure he can find someone to help with your anger issues." Jean said. "What do say?"  
  
"I would like that." Danny said.  
  
"Great," Jean said.  
  
Toad smiled but hid it before anyone could notice. "Finally maybe I can stop having those dreams." 


	5. Snapped

Over the next couple of weeks Danny Bryant spent school hours hanging out with Toad on Professor's suggestion. The two became quick friends and helped each other through their problems. When one was hassled the other stepped up to help them. After school Toad would hang out at the mansion and watch as Danny was trained to control his powers.  
  
These hours spent at mansion caught the attention of the Brotherhood. And one morning Toad was confronted by the Brotherhood as he slid down the banister.  
  
"Well if it isn't the newest X-Man Toad," Quicksilver smirked.  
  
"I am not an X-Man," Toad snapped.  
  
"Then why are you spending all your time with them?" Lance demanded.  
  
"You're one to talk Mr. I join The X-Geeks to be near Kitty. I have friend who is being helped by baldy." Toad retorted.  
  
"You're friends with an X-Man?" Freddy asked puzzled.  
  
"Ha the funny part is he thinks he has a friend," Tabitha said walking down the stairs and towards the door.  
  
"Oh yea I don't have any friends. I am just pretending to for kicks," Toad shouted.  
  
"Good to know that now," Toad turned to see Tabitha had opened the door to reveal Danny standing there. "I am out of here."  
  
"Danny wait I was being sarcastic!" Toad took after Danny but suddenly was faced with the image of him pulling a gun and shooting himself. When it faded Danny was gone. "Ah crud what have I done?"  
  
* * *  
  
Danny was walking swiftly to the entrance of the school not caring who he pushed through. That was until he ran into Duncan Matthews.  
  
"Hey watch it Bryant!" Duncan said shoving Danny.  
  
"Don't mess with me Matthews," Danny said shoving back. He began to focus on creating a headache like the one he gave Toad weeks earlier. Then he realized he couldn't his powers wouldn't respond. He realized the only other time this had happened was a month after they manifested the first time back at his old school. It had only been within the past weeks that they came back.  
  
He took a swing at Duncan and struck the nose of the quarterback. Before he realized what was happening several other football players were on him shoving him down into the mud.  
  
"Duncan what's going on here? Get off of him." The jocks got up and Danny got up and looked at Jean.  
  
"Danny are you ok?" she asked.  
  
"I'm fine I am going home to change," Danny stormed away ignoring Jean when she asked if he wanted Scott to give him a ride. He didn't want anything from any of them. Jean maybe being nice now but it wouldn't take long before she let Duncan get to her and had her just as stuck up as every other prep in the place. And Toad, Toad said he knew what Danny was going through but it was lies. He was better off then Danny, he had the Brotherhood Danny had nobody.  
  
Danny got home and ran up the stairs before his mother could give him the third degree. All he said was that he was feeling sick. Going into his room he went to the closet and pulled out a shoebox that was left by his dad. Opening it he picked up the pistol inside and loaded in a round of bullets. Tomorrow he would show them all. 


	6. When Nightmares Come True

Note: Sorry I haven't posted any new chapters in awhile I have been at a friend's and haven't had the time to write anything new but I decided to take the time to update this.  
  
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When Jean told Toad about what happened with Danny and Duncan he immediately took off full speed leaping towards his friends home. It took twenty minutes on foot even with his incredible jumping distance. When he arrived at the home of Danny Bryant, Danny's mother answered his knock.  
  
"Todd right?" Mrs. Bryant continued after Toad nodded. "I am sorry but Danny came home sick and said he doesn't want to talk to anyone. Besides shouldn't you be in school."  
  
"Yea well tell Danny I was here and to give me a call please. Tell him I am sorry too." Toad said. Mrs. Bryant nodded and closed the door. Toad turned and headed around the side of the house and found Danny's second story window. With one leap he caught onto the window and stuck. Tapping on the window he waited for Danny to look at him. Danny got up and walked to the window and stared at Toad. Danny glared and pulled the shades down blocking Toads view in.  
  
Toad hopped down and decided to head back to the Brotherhood Manor instead of school. He spent the day by the phone. But after a scuffle Lance chased him away so he could call Kitty. It was almost midnight when Toad realized Danny wasn't going to call and hit the sack.  
  
The next morning at school Toad couldn't find Danny anywhere. He walked into first period hoping he would be there but his seat was empty. Taking his usual seat in the back of the room Toad drifted off to sleep almost instantly.  
  
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It started out like his first dream. A gunshot forced him from sleep and caused him to jump from his seat. This time he realized it was real because he was still in the back of the room. On the floor the teacher laid bleeding. Standing in the classroom doorway holding a smoking pistol was Danny.  
  
"Danny, man, what are you doing?" Toad asked backing away as the gun barrel pointed to him. Looking to his side he seen out the second story window. One leap and he would be safe. Just one leap.  
  
"Taking care of some pains," Danny said turning the gun on Duncan.  
  
"Bryant what are you nuts?" Duncan hollered as he huddled with the other students in a back corner.  
  
Jean mean while stepped towards Danny. "Come one Danny put down the gun you don't have to do this."  
  
"Back off Grey!" Danny said pointing the gun at her.  
  
"Come on Danny put it down buddy. We can help you" Jean said not stopping. Toad knew what was coming next. He looked between the window and Jean. One leap, just one leap.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO" Duncan screamed as he dived at Jean. Danny pulled off two shoots as Toad made his one leap. 


	7. Aftermath

Though the world outside was beautiful and pleasant the world within Bayville General Hospital was the opposite especially for the small group of individuals who called themselves the Brotherhood. Pietro was trying to keep his super-speed in check as he paced the waiting room floor. Freddy who was the biggest yet most sensitive member of the mutant teens sat with his head hung down. Lance who was considered the groups leader and resident tough guy was actually doing his best to hold off frustration (and possibly tears) as he scanned over page after page of medical forms. Tabitha meanwhile was outside half heartedly flirting with a cute orderly. The only person in the waiting room was an elderly gentleman who was looking among the teens with a nervous look. Hours passed and the mutant teens grew more anxious when finally a doctor walked into the waiting room.  
  
"Doc how is he?" Lance asked standing up.  
  
"CanWeSeeHim?" Pietro asked.  
  
"He is very lucky that he took the bullets in the leg he has some incredible strong leg muscles." The doctor said shaking his head. "He is in recovery as we speak you will be allowed to see him in a bit. But first we are going to need a parent or guardian to take care of some paper work for us."  
  
The Brotherhood looked back and forth. Lance smiled when he noticed the frightened old man in the corner. He was about to step towards him when another voice spoke up.  
  
"I will take care of any paper work," Professor Charles Xavier said wheeling up behind the doctor. Beside him Jean stood with a grim look on her face.  
  
"Right this way then please," The doctor said leading the professor away. "I will send a nurse to take the rest of you to see him in a few minutes."  
  
* * *  
  
In a small hospital room Toad opened his eyes to see the Brotherhood and Jean looking down at him. All he could muster was a groggy "Hey."  
  
"Hey Toad. We hope you're feeling a little better. We thought for sure we were going to lose you." Lance said speaking for the Brotherhood, "It made us realize just how important you really are to this team and our family. We are sorry treating you so cruddy lately. And well here-"  
  
Lance pulled out a wad of cash and placed it in Toads hand. "We never came to an agreement on who raided your stash but we all chipped in and came up with the money."  
  
"You guys you shouldn't have. Of course I'm not complaining," Toad said taking the money.  
  
"Ok enough this mushy junk. I got a job to get to so anyone who is getting a ride lets move." Lance said and led the Brotherhood out leaving just Toad and Jean.  
  
"How is Danny?" Toad asked breaking the awkward silence.  
  
"It's hard to tell yet. Professor used his pull to get him taken to a place where he can get the special help he needs. But he will still face sometime in lock up." Jean said then after a brief pause she spoke up, "Toad what you did for me back there. I don't know how to even begin to thank you or repay you."  
  
"A sponge bath would be nice," Toad said with a laugh that was stifled by a cold stare.  
  
But the cold stare broke into a smile. "Its easy to tell that bullet didn't take away your charming personality."  
  
"Yea. Hey if you're done here I think I would like to catch some Zs." Toad said his eyelids drooping shut.  
  
"Alright. And Toad" Jean bent down and planted a brief kiss on Toad's forehead. "Thank you."  
  
"Aw man I would have rather gotten the sponge bath," Toad moaned. A second later a flying sponge caught him in the face as Jean went out the door.  
  
* * *  
  
After Jean had gone and Toad had drifted off to sleep the old man from the waiting room slipped into Toad's room. The old man stood over Toad a few minutes and then headed for the door. Turning around the old man was gone and in his place stood Mystique in her new mutated body, "Get well my Toad." As she exited the door she became the old man and disappeared down the hall. 


End file.
